Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express Review

Frequent travelers who spend a lot and want premium perks are getting more and more credit cards to choose from. One of the latest premium credit cards to hit the market is the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express, a Credit Cards Explained advertiser.

In addition to offering big rewards on travel and everyday purchases, the card matches some of the best travel cards on the market with benefits like airport lounge access, airline fee and resort credits, and free nights.

All those perks come at a price, though, and the card’s annual fee isn’t for the faint of heart. Read on to find out if the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express belongs in your wallet.

The Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express

While some premium credit cards are big on rewards or perks, this one focuses on both. The card starts you out with 100,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months.

You’ll also earn the following rewards rates when you use the card:

14 points per dollar spent at participating hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.

7 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants.

3 points per dollar spent on all other purchases.

Hilton Honors points are worth between 0.5 and 0.6 cents apiece on average when you use them to book free hotel stays. So, you’re looking at a base rewards rate of roughly 1.5% and even higher for bonus categories.

Despite having an impressive rewards program, it’s the card’s other perks that really shine. Here’s a breakdown of the top benefits:

Hilton diamond status: Diamond is the highest tier you can achieve in the Honors program. Features include a 100% bonus on all base points you earn, a fifth night free, free room upgrades, free breakfast and late checkout.

At least $600 in annual credits: These alone are enough to pay for the card’s $450 annual fee. You’ll get a $250 airline incidental fee credit, a $250 Hilton resort statement credit and a $100 on-property credit every time you book at least a two-night stay with your card at participating hotels.

Airline lounge access: You’ll receive a complimentary membership to Priority Pass, a lounge network with more than 1,000 airport lounges worldwide. You can also bring up to two guests per visit for free.

Up to two free nights each year: You’ll get one free weekend night each year when you renew your card membership and pay the annual fee, plus an additional night if you spend at least $60,000 on the card during the calendar year.

Drawbacks

If you travel frequently and prefer Hilton hotels, it shouldn’t be hard to make your money back and more with this card. But no card is perfect; here are some things to consider before applying.

It’s Designed for Big Spenders

To maximize the value of the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express, you need to spend a lot of money. The second free annual night requires a minimum of $5,000 in spending per month, and the $250 Hilton resort statement credit requires that you pay to stay at an eligible resort out of pocket.

Even the card’s $250 airline incidental fee credit assumes that you fly enough to spend that much on things like checked bags and inflight food and drinks every year.

While you can get more than the card’s $450 annual fee in value out of this card every year, it won’t be easy if you’re not already spending enough to meet the minimum spend requirements.

Redemption Options Are Limited

Hilton rewards points are best redeemed for free hotel stays. You can redeem your points in other ways, including for free car rentals, sporting events and concerts, and by shopping online at Amazon, but these options generally return a value lower than what you’d get by using them for free hotel stays.

You can also transfer your points to other travel rewards programs, but the transfer ratios don’t work well in your favor. For example, you’d have to give up 10,000 Honors points to get 1,500 American Airlines miles, and the same amount of Honors points would net you only 1,000 Delta Airlines miles.

If you want rewards flexibility, this card might not be your cup of tea.

Hilton Honors Points Have Low Value

At 0.5 to 0.6 cents apiece, the value of Hilton Honors points is low compared with other hotel points. For example, Marriott Rewards points can be worth roughly 1 cent apiece on average, and Hyatt Gold Passport points can be worth close to 2 cents each.

This might not be as big of a deal since the card has relatively high rewards rates. But, it can be harder to get more bang for your buck with a Hilton-branded credit card than one of its competitors.

The Bottom Line

The Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express has an impressive set of rewards and benefits. Frequent travelers who spend a good amount of money can get more out of the card than what they pay towards fees. But, if the card’s annual fee and other spending requirements leave you feeling uncertain, you might be better off with a lower-tier travel credit card.

As with any credit card, it’s wise to compare your top choice with similar cards. Take a look at other top travel credit cards to see whether they might be a better fit for your spending habits or personal preferences.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ben Luthi is a freelance writer who shares his thoughts about credit cards, insurance, student loans, and other personal finance topics. His work has appeared in publications like USA Today, The Christian Science Monitor, NerdWallet, Money, and more. Learn more about Ben Luthi

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Credit Cards Explained may earn affiliate commissions from our partners on this page. These commissions do not affect how we select, rate, or review products. To find out more, read our complete terms of use.